Du Bois on sociology, double consciousness and imagination

Dados Bibliográficos

ID8131027
AutoresMichael Halewood (0000-0001-5122-3990, University of Essex, autor correspondente), M A Thomas (0000-0002-9141-4043, University of Amsterdam), Michael Thomas (0000-0002-2180-3094, University of Amsterdam)
Ano2026
Páginas1-16
Data de publicação2026-02-18
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoEthnic and Racial Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0141-9870 • E-ISSN: 1466-4356
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01419870.2026.2619629
OpenAlexW7130360803
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas9

This article explores Du Bois’ specific understanding of Sociology, arguing that he utilized and developed a specific form of active imagining. Du Bois’ use of imagination is a process of reimagining, grounded in his experience of racialized modernity. He uses sociological narratives to redirect the imaginations of his audiences by teaching them to see what they have been trained to ignore. Simultaneously, he develops and deploys ways of thinking about race that avoid past assumptions of black inferiority. He describes how different (racialized) social groups are constituted amid the weave of labor conditions which produce the historical, political and “real” possibilities that matter not only for these groups but for societies, nations, indeed, the world as a whole. He contributes to the development of sociological thought by directing its attention to the processes at work in social problems, the activities of groups, the production of double consciousness and the operations of environments.

Consciousness · Double consciousness · Imagination · Subjectivity · The Imaginary · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Emile Durkheim and Sociology · Pragmatism in Philosophy and Education